Catholic News
- Augustinian prelate named prefect of Dicastery for the Service of Charity (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV named a fellow member of the Order of Saint Augustine as the new Almoner of His Holiness and prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, one of the 16 dicasteries of the Roman Curia. Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, O.S.A., was appointed an undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in 2021. In appointing Bishop San Martín a curial prefect, Pope Leo also raised him to the dignity of an archbishop. Bishop San Martín succeeds Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Almoner of His Holiness since 2013 and prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity since its inception in 2022. Pope Leo named Cardinal Krajewski the new archbishop of Łódź, Poland; Cardinal Krajewski was born in Łódź in 1963 and ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Łódź in 1988. - Vatican newspaper decries Iran war's child casualties, effects of Israeli bombardment of Lebanon (CWN)
The Vatican newspaper lamented the Iran war’s child casualties and decried the humanitarian effects of the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon. - Pope Leo: Look to the Holy Family as model of presence, care (Dicastery for Communication)
Addressing participants in a conference on “generative accompaniment,” Pope Leo XIV said that presence and care “help to illuminate the Christian meaning of welcome.” The conference was organized by Fraterna Domus, an association of Christian volunteers. Pope Leo said: Being present in the lives of others means sharing time, experiences and meanings, offering stable points of reference in which others can recognize themselves and grow. Looking to the Holy Family of Nazareth—whose model inspires Fraterna Domus—every welcoming community can rediscover its calling and learn to orient itself on the path of service. The Pontiff also upheld St. Joseph’s guardianship of those entrusted to him as a model of care. “Guardianship means being attentive to others, respecting their choices and caring for them,” he said. “Joseph shows us that presence and guardianship are inseparable dimensions: it is not possible to guard without being present, and one is not present without assuming responsibility for the other.” - Cuba releases 51 prisoners as goodwill gesture to Vatican (Miami Herald)
The Cuban government announced last night that it is releasing 51 prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the Vatican. “In the spirit of good will and the close and fluid relations between the Cuban State and the Vatican, with which communication has historically been maintained regarding the review and release of prisoners, the Cuban Government has decided to release 51 people sentenced to imprisonment in the coming days,” according to the announcement. Pope Leo received Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, the nation’s minister of foreign affairs, on February 28. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, said on March 9 that the Holy See has worked for a “dialogue-based solution to the problems that exist” there. - Vatican archbishop laments Lebanon's plight (Vatican News (Italian))
The secretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches lamented the plight of his native Lebanon. Archbishop Michel Jalakh, O.A.M., issued an appeal “not to close our eyes to the suffering” of Lebanon and “not to think that it is far removed from us: we must always continue, at the very least, to speak about it.” The prelate lamented a recent Israeli attack on Beirut: an “attack against peaceful people who were more than just displaced: they had gone to sleep on the beach, and there they were killed.” Archbishop Jalakh described conditions in Lebanon as “terrible” and the nation as paralyzed, as “monasteries, universities, and other centers” are filled with people displaced in the war there. - Worldwide Marriage Encounter gains Vatican recognition (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life recognized Worldwide Marriage Encounter as an international association of the faithful, in a ceremony at the dicastery’s headquarters. Pope Leo also received members of the organization in a March 12 audience. The organization “took its first steps in Spain in the 1950s but was officially founded in 1968 and is today present in nearly 100 countries worldwide,” the Vatican newspaper reported. - Basra archbishop becomes administrator of Chaldean Catholic Church (Chaldean Patriarchate (Arabic))
Archbishop Habib Hormiz Jajou Al Nawfali of Basra, Iraq, has become the administrator of the Chaldean Catholic Church until the election of a new Patriarch. Archbishop Jajou is the senior member (by date of episcopal ordination) of the Permanent Synod of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The prelate’s appointment, the Chaldean Patriarchate stated, was made in accord with the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (n. 127). On March 10, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, 76, the Eastern Catholic church’s Patriarch since 2013. - Trappists may abandon La Trappe Abbey (EWTN News)
The monks of La Trappe Abbey announced that they may abandon their abbey because of declining vocations. The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as the Trappists, was founded at La Trappe in 1664 by Abbot Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé. - Holy Land bishops suspend Nazareth meeting (Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land)
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land announced that it was suspending its scheduled meeting in Nazareth because of the Iran war. “To a greater or lesser extent, all communities are suffering from the consequences of the war ravaging the region,” the prelates said in their statement, dated March 10 and released the following day. “We have observed that, even in the most challenging circumstances, our Christian faithful have not succumbed to the temptation of responding with violence. This is a sign of hope and a testimony to our Christian identity.” “During this Lenten season, we lift our prayers and sacrifices to God, asking Him to enlighten the hearts of those who lead the nations and guide them onto the path that leads to true peace,” the prelates added. - USCCB expresses 'profound ecclesial solidarity' with Church in South Sudan following massacre (USCCB)
The chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace expressed “profound ecclesial solidarity” with the Church in South Sudan following the March 2 massacre of civilians in Jonglei state. “Our committee has long voiced urgent concern over the mass destruction and loss of life caused by civil conflict in South Sudan,” Bishop A. Elias Zaidan wrote in a March 10 letter to Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura-Yambio, South Sudan. “We are deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and further intensified humanitarian crisis ... We also seek to amplify your call for international assistance in addressing needs for basic humanitarian services, pastoral care, and psychosocial support for the millions currently in distress.” - Pope, in audience on Vatican II, reflects on the Church as the People of God (CWN)
Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV devoted his March 11 audience to the Church as the People of God—a people that everyone is called to enter. - Lebanese foreign minister requests Holy See's help in preserving Christian presence there (Vatican News)
The Holy See Press Office confirmed that that Lebanon’s minister of foreign affairs called his Vatican counterpart on March 10 to request the Holy See’s help in preserving the Christian presence in southern Lebanon amid Israeli attacks on Hezbollah forces in the region. “I asked the Holy See to intervene and mediate to help preserve the Christian presence in those villages, whose residents have always supported the Lebanese state and its official military institutions, and have never departed from this commitment,” Youssef Rajji said in a social media post. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, affirmed that “the Holy See is making all the necessary diplomatic contacts to halt the escalation in Lebanon and to prevent the displacement of citizens from their lands,” Rajji added. - Pope pays tribute to slain Lebanese priest, renews appeal for prayer for peace (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Father Pierre el-Raï as he renewed his appeal for prayers for peace. - Keep churches open, Bahrain's crown prince says in show of support for Catholic community (CWN)
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain visited the cathedral there to express his support for the Catholic community amid Iranian attacks on the nation. - The cry of the suffering 'challenges everyone's conscience,' Italian bishops write to Middle East Patriarchs (Chiesa Cattolica Italiana)
The president of the Italian Episcopal Conference expressed prayerful solidarity in a letter to the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic churches in the Middle East. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna lamented the “exacerbation of violence that continues to cause suffering, wounds and mourning, weighing especially on the most fragile: families, children, the elderly, the sick, people forced to leave their homes or to live in daily uncertainty.” “The cry of those who suffer challenges everyone’s conscience and cannot be ignored,” Cardinal Zuppi continued. “War is not and can never be the answer.” The bishops’ conference released a summary of Cardinal Zuppi’s letter today, ahead of the Italian bishops’ day of prayer and fasting for peace. - Nuncio, bishops attend slain Maronite priest's funeral Mass (CWN)
The apostolic nuncio to Lebanon joined two other prelates at the funeral Mass of Father Pierre el-Raï. - Ethiopia's Catholic bishops decry attacks on Orthodox Christians (Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia decried recent extremist attacks on members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The bishops described the attacks as a “grave sin against God, a direct affront to the sanctity of human life, and a violation of the moral law entrusted to humanity,” as they called for a “thorough, transparent, and just” government investigation. The bishops also warned against “any attempt to use the tragedy to sow division among religious or ethnic communities.” The East African nation of 121.4 million (map)--the 12th most populous in the world—is 61% Christian (38% Orthodox, 20% Protestant), 33% Muslim, and 6% ethnic religionist. - Missionary sister who was abducted, released meets with Pontiff (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
An Indian missionary sister in Ethiopia who was held captive by terrorists for several days in 2023 met with Pope Leo XIV on March 11. “For years I have lived in Ethiopia as a Sister of the Imitation of Christ, committed to bringing healing, hope, and love, building healthy relationships in one of the poorest regions of the world,” said Sister Surabhila, SIC. The Vatican newspaper reported that “after her release, she returned to India to try to overcome the deep emotional trauma, then found the courage and strength to return to Ethiopia, where she founded a clinic.” - Belgian religious leaders lament Iran war (Église catholique à Bruxelle)
The president of the Belgian Bishops’ Conference joined Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist leaders in lamenting the Iran war. “Our thoughts are with all the innocent victims,” the religious leaders said in their March 10 statement. “Every human life deserves protection. Every human being deserves peace, no matter where they live in the world. We call on all parties to put an immediate end to the violence and to resolutely commit themselves to dialogue and respect for international law.” “We refuse to allow this conflict to fracture our society,” they continued. “This war must not be imported into our country. It is up to us to face them up to them and to preserve what makes our country strong: a democratic coexistence based on respect for convictions.” The leader of “organized secularism” in Belgium joined the religious leaders in their appeal. - Arson attacks target two Irish churches (Irish Catholic)
An arsonist (or arsonists) set fire to two Catholic churches in County Westmeath, Ireland, on March 6. Quick action prevented the fires at St. James’ Church in Kilbeggan and St. Michael’s Parish Church in Castletown Geoghegan from spreading throughout the buildings. - More...